Lacey was crying, her friends relating what Rachel had done to her brother, the walls of the flats so thin they could be heard outside.
“The bitch, I’ll fucking kill her. No one does that to our family,” Andy bellowed. “I’m going to sort her out. Now.”
As Andy reached the top of the stairs he found himself grabbed by the throat and pushed up against the wall, the lairiness draining right out of him as he looked into Ryan Law’s hard grey eyes.
“Hi Ryan,” he said nervously. “Can I help you?”
“Where are you going?” he asked politely.
“Nowhere. Just nipping to the shop for some fags.”
“Funny time to go for cigarettes when your sister’s bleeding and crying all over the floor.”
“She wants one too. It’ll calm her down.”
“If that’s true then why do you need to go to the shops when there’s a packet of cigarettes sticking out of your shirt pocket?”
Andy swallowed hard, sweat standing out on his brow. “Oh, I forgot about those.”
“I was under the impression that repulsive, scavenging individuals like yourself are permanently aware of every cigarette and dog end in their possession.”
“Not me, memory like a fucking sieve.”
Ryan slid the packet from his pocket and poked him in the eye with the corner of it.
“Ow, that really hurts,” Andy whined, eye reddening and watering.
“You lied to me and I don’t like that. You were going to see Rachel Thomas, weren’t you?”
“No Ryan I…” He crumpled up when Ryan’s fist slammed into his gut.
He threw the pack of cigarettes aside then grabbed the back of Andy’s t-shirt and dragged him round the corner towards his flat, Simmy following with a smirk. Lacey was still audible behind the closed door of the Shaw home and Ryan kicked it open, throwing Andy facedown on the hallway carpet.
“What the bloody hell?” said Ma Shaw, appearing in the hallway, alerted by the noise. “Andy, what are you doing on the floor?”
Ryan strode past her and into the living room so he could address the entire family all at once. Lacey was on the couch, her two younger sisters attempting to bathe the cuts on her face while she was in the middle of a full blown hissy fit. Their father sat almost regally in his armchair before the television, a can of Special Brew in one hand, a cigarette in the other, a plate of sausage rolls balanced on his enormous stomach. None of them objected as Simmy entered the room dragging Andy along by one leg, Ma bringing up the rear. Like all flats on the Montford Estate the rooms were very small and with eight people gathered together all at once there was hardly room to breathe. Ryan wrinkled his nose up at the stink of stale urine and dog shit, an old, incontinent terrier lying disinterestedly in a basket in the corner.
Lacey’s injuries looked even worse up close, her face swollen to three times its normal size, eyes disappearing into the folds, whistling out air between the gap where her front teeth used to be.
“Listen up all of you. She is a fucking bully,” he said, pointing at Lacey, who physically jumped. “She got what she deserved. It was a fair fight, one on one and no one will take retribution against Rachel Thomas for it. Have I made myself clear?”
Ryan had realised long ago that his voice had much more effect when he spoke low and quietly. He could have people trembling on their knees in seconds so that was how he spoke now. Even the ancient dog seemed to sit up and take notice.
Only Ma Shaw had the guts to reply. “What Rachel did was well over the top. Look at the state of my little girl. The Thomas bitch is a menace and needs to be sorted before she does this to anyone else’s daughter.”
“First of all Ma, there’s nothing little about Lacey,” said Ryan, drawing an indignant gasp from her mother. “Secondly, you know as well as I do that Rachel Thomas only attacks when provoked, unlike your daughter. She got what she deserved and hopefully that’ll teach her a lesson. No one touches Rachel and if they do they’ll answer to me. She so much as catches a cold then I’ll be round here making my displeasure known,” he said, booting Andy in the ribs.
Not even Ma spoke as Ryan’s anger filled the room. He fixed the Shaw matriarch with a cold level stare. “I trust we understand one another?”
She nodded, realising she had no choice.
“Excellent,” he said with a malicious smile. “Then we have no further business. Don’t make me come here again and for Christ’s sake, clean up the dog shit. Have some self respect.”
Ma tilted her head back arrogantly, revealing a sagging, wrinkled neck.
Ryan strode from the room with Simmy in tow, enjoying the defeated silence they left behind.
“So, what now?” said Simmy. “Want me to kick the shit out of anyone?”
“No thank you. How’s Estelle been lately?” Ryan hadn’t visited his mother in months, unable to bear how corrupt and vicious she was. His new-found status meant nothing to her, she still treated him with the same contempt she always had, even when she was asking him for a handout.
“The same,” shrugged Simmy.
“What a pity.”
“Are you going to visit her?”
“That depends. How’s she treating Jamie and Jez?” The youngest two of his brothers still lived at home with their mum. Both were teenagers now and as soon as they were old enough to live on their own he intended moving them into their own flat. For some reason his brothers liked living on the Montford and he knew of a flat that was coming up to buy in a few months and he intended to purchase it for them to share, anything to get them out of the clutches of that evil, drugged-up slag.
“She doesn’t bother with them, she’s hardly at the flat as it is. She’s got herself a new bloke and she spends most of her time at his place.”
“Good. In that case I won’t bother. You may go and indulge in whatever depraved activities you class as pleasurable.” Ryan grabbed Simmy’s arm, his fingers digging into his skin. “Stay away from Melanie Jones. She’s fourteen for fuck’s sake. If I ever catch you shagging a minor again I will drown you. I’ll have no paedos in my family. You get no more free passes.”
Simmy nodded, recalling the severe beating he’d received off his eldest brother that had put him in hospital for three weeks in the most intense pain of his life after he’d caught him in bed with Melanie. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. “I know and I promise it won’t happen again.”
“It had better not because if it does it won’t matter that we’re brothers.”
“I know Ryan. What are you up to now then?”
“I’m going to make sure Rachel Thomas is alright.”
“I knew it, you want to fu…”
The words were squeezed out of Simmy’s throat by Ryan’s hand. “I seriously recommend you do not finish that sentence.”
With that Ryan released him and walked away, leaving Simmy rubbing his neck.
Rick Thomas thought he was going to pass out when he opened his front door to find Ryan Law on his doorstep.
“Ryan,” he gasped, wondering whether he should slam the door shut and lock it or front it out. He let the baseball bat he’d been holding slide to the floor. He’d been prepared to use it on Andy Shaw but if he tried it with Ryan he’d fail.
“Hello Rick. Is Rachel in?”
“No,” he practically yelled, his paternal instinct kicking in. “I don’t know where she is.”
“I’m not here to cause trouble, I just want to make sure she’s alright after her…altercation.”
“She’s not here,” said Rick with a bravery he didn’t realise he possessed.
“It’s okay Dad,” called a soft voice.
Ryan saw Rachel peering at him curiously over her dad’s shoulder. Beth was beside her, staring at him with her mouth hanging open.
“Alright, but Rachel’s been through a lot and she needs her rest,” said Rick.
“I won’t be long Rick, I promise,” he replied with a gentle smile.
Grudgingly Ric
k stood aside. “Well, I suppose you’d better come in.”
Ryan looked around approvingly. Unlike the majority of flats on the Montford Estate the Thomas residence was spotlessly clean and tidy. It was still small but the lack of clutter made it feel bigger. He wished he’d been brought up in a home like this instead of a stinking drug den his mother had used to entertain punters. Still, this decent childhood home hadn’t stopped their daughter growing up with the ability to beat seven bells out of someone.
Rachel was barely scathed, the majority of the damage done to her knuckles after pounding them into Lacey’s face. They were cut where they’d connected with her teeth. Rachel had changed clothes, she’d had to because the others were stained with blood.
“Hello Mr Law,” she said respectfully.
Ryan liked her manners, it was the sign of a good upbringing.
“Hello Rachel. Are you alright?”
“Fine. She hardly touched me.”
“So I saw. I want you to know that I’ve told the Shaw’s there will be no retribution on you. The fight was fair and they are accepting of that.”
“Thank you Mr Law, I appreciate your intervention.”
He liked how she spoke, she was clearly intelligent, well mannered, a decent girl. “You’re welcome Rachel. Have you had your GCSE results yet?”
“Yes.”
“How did you get on?”
“She got three A’s, two B’s and two C’s,” said Rick proudly, standing beside his daughter and putting a protective arm around her shoulders, not liking Ryan Law’s sudden interest in her.
“And what’s next for you Rachel?” enquired Ryan politely.
“College. I want to be a nurse.”
She obviously had the brains for it but it was a source of wonderment to him that someone who was so talented at causing other people damage wanted to go into the healing profession. “I wish you luck Rachel. If there’s anything you need, anything at all to help you on your way, please don’t hesitate to ask. Very few people on this estate make anything of themselves but I have the feeling you will soar.”
While Rick and Beth stared at him in amazement Rachel flashed him a big smile. “Thank you Mr Law, I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything.” He thought it such a bloody shame she was stuck with those front teeth. Maybe Mother Nature thought it unfair one woman be blessed with such beauty so she was given a flaw, quite a major one at that. However he was beginning to find those buck teeth quite adorable.
Jesus, she’s sixteen, he told himself. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair. Thank you for your time.”
He left feeling happier now he’d sorted that out, he liked doing good deeds for the estate residents, the ones who deserved it anyway.
He wandered down to the ground floor to his current girlfriend’s flat. Helen was a beautiful, feisty brunette and he enjoyed her company, but he didn’t know how long she would keep his interest. All his amours fizzled out after a few months but at the moment he was still happy with her.
Helen opened the door and her face lit up, “Hello sexy,” she grinned.
“Hello,” he replied, leaning against the doorframe, a seductive smile on his lips. “Are you busy?”
“I’ve always got time for you.”
He took her face in his hands and ground his mouth against hers aggressively, attempting to rid himself of the image of a pair of jet black eyes.
“Oy, what’s all this?” called a voice.
Ryan broke the kiss and turned to see Chrissie Nairn, who he’d had an indiscretion with very recently. “Ah, hello Chrissie, I didn’t see you there,” he said calmly.
“Obviously. Why are you kissing that tart when you were in my bed just two nights ago?”
“What?” shrieked Helen.
When she looked at Ryan with hurt eyes he felt guilty. “It was just a drunken mistake,” he replied, hoping to smooth things over. He liked Helen, enjoyed spending time with her and she didn’t deserve this, but women had always been his weakness.
“Don’t give me that crap,” she yelled at him. “You never get drunk. You knew exactly what you were doing.”
“Yeah he did and he loved it,” smirked Chrissie.
“Bitch,” screeched Helen, launching herself at her rival.
While the two women fought and hissed at each other like cats, Ryan sighed and leaned back against the wall, his eyes straying upstairs to Rachel Thomas’s flat.
RACHEL
“Oh my God Rach, can you believe that?” said Beth. “You’ve got Ryan Law’s protection.”
“Yes, that was very nice of him,” said Rick, troubled.
“What’s wrong Dad?”
“I didn’t like the way he looked at you,” he frowned.
“I don’t think you need to worry on that score. A man like that would never look twice at me.”
“And he’s going out with Helen Campbell. She’s gorgeous.” Beth’s face fell when she realised what she’d said. “Not that you’re not Rach, I mean…”
“It’s alright mate, I know I’m no pin up,” she smiled, patting her hand.
“But you will be one day,” said Rick, “and I think he recognised that.”
“Yeah, right Dad,” she said wryly. Rachel had long ago accepted that she’d always be a plain Jane and it didn’t really bother her. But she still had her pride, which she refused to relinquish to the bullies on the estate. Her dad looked so worried and she felt sick with guilt for putting him through so much but he understood why she had to fight and she would be eternally grateful for that. She was just glad her mum was at work otherwise she’d be starting World War Three by now. “Don’t look so worried Dad, I’m not daft. I would never get involved with gangsters.”
“I hope you keep that in mind.” He frowned when he heard screaming and yelling. “What is that noise?” Rick lifted the net curtain to see Helen Campbell and Chrissie Nairn going at each other like harpies while Ryan stood by, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Rick was startled to see Ryan was looking up at their flat rather than at his girlfriend grappling with another woman. Hastily he let the curtain drop.
“What is it Dad?” said Rachel.
“Nothing, just another cat fight,” he replied, for some reason feeling a bit sick. This wasn’t good.
“See, it’s not just me.” Rachel’s grin fell when his expression remained grim. She kissed him on the cheek, raising a small smile. “Come on Beth, I’ll show you that new skirt I got,” she said.
The two friends scurried into Rachel’s tiny bedroom, having to stand to one side until the door was closed because the single bed took up the majority of the floor space. Beth didn’t bat an eyelid, her bedroom was exactly the same.
“I can’t believe Ryan Law was here,” Beth whispered, aware the walls were so thin that Rick would be able to hear if she spoke too loudly. “He’s well fit, isn’t he?”
“Gorgeous.” Rachel looked up at the posters of her heartthrobs stuck to the walls and thought Ryan put them all in the shade.
“He said you could ask him for anything you want. Why don’t you ask for a shag?”
“Beth,” she giggled. “Dad will go ballistic if he hears you talking like that.”
“I’d ask him. That’s too good an offer to pass up.”
“He was just being polite. Don’t get carried away.” Still, the thought made her flush with excitement as well as a little fear. She was the only girl on the estate who was still a virgin and she was both embarrassed by and proud of the fact. As Lacey had so cruelly informed her, who would want to shag an ugly bitch like her?
“You’ll get a boyfriend soon Rach,” said Beth, as usual able to read her friend’s emotions. “Some sexy bloke will come along one day and realise how amazing you are.”
“Thanks mate,” smiled Rachel. “I’m getting my braces next week. Hopefully they’ll sort my bloody teeth out.”
“Course they will. Don’t be in a rush for a blok
e anyway Rach. They’re all arseholes.”
“Language Beth,” called Rick through the wall.
“Sorry Mr Thomas,” she called back. “Except your dad,” she told Rachel. “He’s lovely.”
“Thank you Beth.”
“You’re welcome Mr Thomas.”
But Rachel wasn’t listening. She was imagining a variety of scenarios involving herself and Ryan Law, which were as steamy as her lack of experience would allow. She experienced some curious stirrings down below that she’d never felt before. They made her pulse quicken and her skin flush with warmth.
“You’re imagining them right now, aren’t you?” smiled Beth.
“Yes,” she replied breathlessly, only in her fantasy she had normal teeth and a killer body. She shook herself out of it. “Like that’s ever going to happen.”
“Never say never.”
“Yeah, right. I’ve not shown you that skirt yet.” As she got to her feet Rachel was shocked to realise her panties were soaking wet. That had never happened before.
Rachel was bored. She was wandering around the shops looking at things she could never afford in an effort to kill time before her appointment to have her braces fitted. She’d been excited about the summer holidays, especially now she was sixteen and her parents had given her much more freedom, but she didn’t know what to do with it. Unlike the rest of the teenagers on the Montford she didn’t enjoy spending her days at the shopping centre, shoplifting, hanging around the park getting drunk on cheap cider or drawing on bus shelters. She liked to think she was better than that. The only one of her peers on the estate who felt the same was Beth but she’d gone on holiday with her family. Rachel’s parents couldn’t afford a holiday so she was stuck in the city, bored out of her mind without her best friend for company.
With nothing better to do she headed to a café for a brew and a bun, using up what little money she had so, after exiting the café, she could only wander aimlessly around the shops. It was no fun when you knew you couldn’t buy anything. Her parents worked as much as they could but they were in menial jobs and brought home a pittance. A nursing wage wasn’t exactly hefty but compared to what she had now it was a fortune and Rachel couldn’t wait to qualify because then she would have her own money. She didn’t want a lot, just enough to buy new clothes and shoes when she needed them, get herself a car, take the odd holiday, help her mum and dad out a bit. She’d never been one to crave great wealth and big houses, she just wanted enough to live a nice, comfortable life and not have to worry about where the money for the rent was coming from and not have to ignore the phone ringing because it would just be someone chasing a debt, maybe one day retire to a nice quiet farmhouse somewhere in the country and spend her days walking in the fresh air. Bliss.
Dividing Line Origins (Short story anthology - Dividing Line Series) Page 2